Sean Astin Launches #Run3rd Fundraising Campaign

#Run3rd Fundraising Campaign

"Fitness combined with a structured emphasis on community should be available for every student.” —Sean Astin

Sean Astin with kids at the Inaugural #Run3rd 5K in Mesa, AZ, April 11, 2015.

From IRONMAN - "Sean will be in for one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of his life! It will inspire people and show them that anything is possible (who better than RUDY!). His background, commitment to competition and eagerness to immerse himself in philanthropic activities makes him a great ambassador for the sport. We are thrilled to welcome Sean into the IRONMAN family in October.

"The IRONMAN World Championship is a 140.6-mile swim-bike-run event on October 10, 2015, on the Big Island of Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The “Super Bowl of Triathlons” will provide Sean a global platform to promote his philanthropic passion. He will be competing among professionals, amateurs and everyday athletes."

Soooo, after close consultation with my family, I decided to give it a go. The Ironman organization will donate $25,000 to my #Run3rd charity upon completion of the race. I’ve created this crowdfunding platform to make it easy for people who are watching me pursue this dream help student/runners follow theirs. I’ve set an extremely ambitious goal of $50,000.

The fundraising page gofund.me/run3rd explains the basic premise of how I will manage the distribution of the funds.

The #Run3rd Story: #Run3rd has grown from an idea and this blog to a community and a mission. A Facebook group blossomed. Team Captains volunteered. There were "meet ups" at race events. Signs and banners were crafted. A video game was made. All the while, we asked for people to make dedications for their loved ones and causes, and when they did, we embraced them into our hearts; we most certainly did #Run3rd for all of them. With Linda Iroff’s (creator and manager of this official run3rd.com blog) passion and dedication, the message of run3rd was consistently nurtured. She made sure that many practical issues were handled and much creativity was unleashed. She trademarked "run3rd" and worked with a designer on the logo. A virtual 5k was held.

Then, earlier this year, the #Run3rd concept took a major step forward with the running of the Run3rd5k in Mesa, AZ. Mindy and Kris Przeor demonstrated vision and professionalism in organizing the race. It was a massive success on a financial level, but it was also a wonderful community gathering with students, families, run3rd supporters, school administrators, local political leaders and a wonderful array of sponsors. Together, we all raised enough money to donate $10,000 to the after school running programs at Briton Elementary and other schools in the district.

Combining the $25k from Ironman and the money raised through the GoFundMe campaign (gofund.me/run3rd), I intend to continue the great example from throughout the history of #run3rd, and specifically building on the run3rd5k success, proudly supporting other Elementary After School Running Programs that incorporate the #Run3rd value of selflessness and compassion.

Thank you so much for learning about the campaign. I hope you are able and willing to pitch in.

Respectfully and gratefully yours,
Sean Astin